With the season changing to fall and the weather getting cooler people were looking forward to one of Nebraska's coolest traditions. Watching high school football on the hallowed ground at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. Teams from all over the state would travel to the Huskers home field for not only a chance to play for a state title but to share the same space of their heroes.
This year COVID-19 had other ideas. New restrictions coming down from both the Governors office and Lancaster county in order to hopefully stop the spread and budget concerns from the NSAA have forced their hand.
State football will not be played at the Husker stadium this year.
The new restrictions would have allowed only a scant few spectators to watch games in person at the stadium, and the costs to rent such a facility are sky-high. The NSAA relies on ticket sales to help offset that rental cost.
To that effect the NSAA put out a press release:
The NSAA has determined that the State Football Championship Finals will not be played in Lincoln at Memorial Stadium on November 23rd and 24th.
The Class A, B, C1, C2, D1, and D2 State Football Championship Finals will be played at home sites on Friday, November 20th. The higher seed will host in all classes. Game times will be mutually agreed upon by the participating schools. The host schools will be required to follow the previously established NSAA postseason protocols.
The Class D6 State Football Championship Final will proceed as scheduled in Kearney at Cope Stadium on Friday, November 20th.